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Studying Singapore Essay

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Studying Singapore Located between Malaysia and Indonesia, the total area is only 630 sq. km, which is extremely small by any standards. People have remarked that not only is it really just a large city with extensive suburbs, but that it is governed in the same way as a chief executive might control a major corporation. Indeed many people refer to Singapore as a city-state. Singapore has an undramatic scenery, with lowlands and a gently undulating central plateau. The highest point is Bukit Timah at only 175m. Only 10% of the land can be described as arable, and even then soils are not good. However intensive and modern …show more content…

Residents below 15 years of age formed 21.5 per cent of the population. The proportion of residents aged 65 years and above was 7.3 per cent. Infant mortality rate was 3.3 per thousand resident live births in 1999, compared with 6.3 in 1989. The life expectancy at birth for resident males and females has increased from 72.9 years and 77.2 years in 1989 to 75.6 years and 79.6 years in 1999 respectively. Most of the original inhabitants were Malays. Other early immigrants came from the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, including the Bugis. The first Malays were mainly involved in agriculture or, before Raffles, were camp followers of the Temenggong (Defence Minister) of the Sultan of Johor. Then came the Chinese; The first Chinese immigrants came from Riau and Melaka (Malacca), many belonging to the distinct Baba community (also known as Straits-born Chinese). In February 1821, the first junk from Amoy, China, arrived and others soon followed. The Hokkiens from Fujian province formed the largest group. Others included the Cantonese from Guangdong; the nomadic Hakkas or Khehs from northern Guangdong; the Teochews from Shantou; the Kwongsais from Guangxi; the Hokchius from Fuzhou and the Hainanese from Hainan Island. Most were poor farmers, labourers or craftsmen. The first Indians came from Penang and Malacca. Others migrated from the

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